PHILADELPHIA — Most of the time when someone says “trust me,” you probably shouldn’t.

After “the check is in the mail,” it’s is one of the best phrases to stay away from if you’re seeking the truth.

Then there’s Eagles defensive coordinator Billy Davis, who asked Eagles fans, through the media, to trust him when he said during a mid-week press conference his unit would get better after it was embarrassed by the Denver Broncos in a 52-20 drubbing back on Sept. 29.

“The results did not show in that game, obviously, so I’m asking you to trust me,” Davis said that day. “Even though there are not the results, the guys know through the daily work, it’ll turn, it’ll turn. It hasn’t turned yet; it’s not where we want it to be, but we will continue to put our heads down and work. And I really believe it will turn.”

Trust him? Why would anyone trust a defensive coordinator fired twice already in his career from the same job, whose defense after four games had allowed 138 points?

Well, we should have.

Davis, after his “trust me” quote, has watched his defense allow 21, 20, 17, 15, 20 and 13 points over the past six weeks. All right, it’s not the 1985 Chicago Bears, but it’s a lot better than it was at the beginning of the season.

“I think our defense just this year has improved on a weekly basis,” Eagles head coach Chip Kelly said Wednesday, as he prepared for a good Washington offense this Sunday. “The more familiarity our coaches have with our players, our players have with our coaches, they keep going on a weekly basis, and we have improved. That’s what we stressed since day one here.

“We knew it was going to be, come in on day one, and this is how it’s going to be, whether it’s offensively, defensively, or special teams. But there has been a weekly improvement with them. And I’m really happy with where they are now. And I know we can get better. I think they know they can get better. And that’s what we’re working on every day in practice.”

After allowing seven touchdowns to Peyton Manning and the Broncos, the Eagles have allowed 10 in the past six games. Granted, they have faced some young quarterbacks in Tampa Bay’s Mike Glennon, Oakland’s Terrelle Pryor and Green Bay’s Scott Tolzien. They also have faced the Giants’ Eli Manning twice and Dallas’ Tony Romo during that stint.

The 17 points the Cowboys scored against the Eagles matches the second-lowest total the Cowboys have scored in a game this season — Kansas City held them to 16 — and five times this season, Romo and Co. have scored 30 or more.

Davis’ defense still is giving up yards at an alarming rate — Oakland rolled for 560, and Tolzien, in his first NFL action, passed for 280.

“Thank God it’s a scoreboard and not a yardage board,” Davis said after the Raiders game.

And that’s what matters — points. The late Jim Johnson, who coordinated the Eagles’ defense through the NFC Championship runs, always said the only stats that mattered to him were points allowed, sacks and turnovers — in that order.

Since the Denver debacle, the Eagles are allowing an average of just over 17 points per game — which was Johnson’s magic number — and have 10 interceptions and forced 12 turnovers, but have managed just 11 sacks.

“I think the sack is overrated in the NFL right now,” he said. “I think we make too much of it on both ends. I think the pressure a quarterback feels — we always talk about can we get the offense off rhythm and the quarterback uncomfortable in the pocket, and I think we’re doing that. Even though the sack numbers aren’t as high as we would like, there’s pressures. There are batted balls. There are errant throws sometimes.

“It’s just a matter of keeping the quarterback uncomfortable. And that ball that looks ugly that was a bad pass that had a lot to do with a throwing lane being clogged up or an arm up in the face or not having a clean lane to see.

“So all those things you can attribute to making a quarterback uncomfortable in the pocket, and that’s our goal. If the sack numbers are high, that’s great. If they’re not, that’s OK, as long as he’s uncomfortable. It’s when he’s sitting back there with a real comfort, comfortable look in his eye. Then, I get uncomfortable.”